Outdoor events

The Great Dorset Steam Fair was the idea of Michael Oliver who wanted to keep the world of steam alive.

The show began as a "steam party" in 1968 and was held on a patch of land adjacent to Shaftesbury Museum.

Que Vadis the shows mascot.

Local enthusiasts brought along their engines with the aim of collecting money for charity. The party proved so popular that a bigger site was needed the following year and it moved the following year to Down End farm Stourpaine.

The ten acre site was filled with steam engines, tractors and machinery. With 2,000 visitors turning up it was soon became evident that an even bigger venue was needed.

In 1971 the fair moved again to Stourpaine Bushes and grew in popularity and size. Unfortunately the Great British weather nearly put an end to the show.

Nine consecutive years of terrible weather in the 1970s saw the number of visitors fall so much that Michael had to put the deeds of his house and farm up as collateral to keep the fair going.

In 1985 the site was lost and a new venue had to be found. Everley Hill (a mile down the road from Stourpaine Bushes) was secured but a bigger more permanent site was needed if the show was going to continue.

In 1988 a 600 acre site was found at Tarrant Hinton near Blandford and this still the fair's home to this day.

The rolling hills of Dorset are ideal for the various events that take place during the four day show.

Martin Oliver, Managing Director.

Michaels's son Martin is now the shows Managing Director. He explains the reason for its popularity " It's nostalgia and it's a working show which harks back to the days when this country was the workshop to the world."

The fair is as popular as ever with visitors coming from all over the world. Organising the event has become a full time job for Martin and his team.

Statistics

Over the four days of the show 25,000 people camp and 7,000 caravans visit. There are 2000 exhibitors, 1,000 trade stands, with 10 miles of electric cable, 200 tonnes of coal and 2 million litres of water shipped in.

The on-site medical centre is also bigger than the local hospital in Blandford. There are about 300 helpers and the cost of staging the show is a staggering £1.7 million.

The future

Michael who has three children says "As long as people still turn up in great numbers and want a show like this, I can't see any reason why the show can't continue for another 40 years."